Scientist killed on camping trip with young daughters was shot in head: Coroner

June 27, 2018

59

Beaudette Family(LOS ANGELES) -- A scientist mysteriously killed while camping with his two young daughters died from being shot in the head, according to the coroner's office.

Tristan Beaudette, 35, was gunned down at about 4:45 a.m. Friday at Malibu Creek State Park in Southern California, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office and Department Medical Examiner said. No one else was injured, the sheriff's office said.

The coroner's office didn't release additional information.

Beaudette was with his 2- and 4-year-old daughters when he was shot, officials said. His wife wasn't on the camping trip because she was studying for an exam, according to ABC station KABC-TV.

Now, his family is "heartbroken."

"The grief and trauma this loss has caused our close-knit family is indescribable," Beaudette's family said in a statement.

"Married to his high-school sweetheart, Tristan was a supportive and generous husband, a full partner in every sense of the word," the family said. "His selfless devotion to his children came naturally, and Tristan found true joy in all aspects of being a father."

"Tristan was universally admired by his friends and family," the statement said. "A scientist who loved cooking and microbrews, Tristan was happiest out in nature, and spent every chance he could hiking, biking, snowboarding, and camping with his family."

But the killing remains a mystery as no arrests have been made, the sheriff's office said.

At least five other shootings were reported in and around the park in the last several years, leaving at least one person injured, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The sheriff's department said it hasn't found any direct links with previous shootings and Beaudette's killing but that it is reviewing some of the earlier incidents, according to the Times.

"California State Parks has turned over to the sheriff’s department all reports from 2016 to present, regarding the illegal discharge of weapons at Malibu Creek State Park," a parks spokesperson said in a statement. "Due to the ongoing investigation, this is all of the information that California State Parks can provide at the moment."

The spokesperson added, "Our hearts go out to the victim and his family during this difficult time. The safety of park visitors and our employees is a top priority. California State Parks is working closely with Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department homicide detectives as they investigate."

Anyone with information about Beaudette's killing is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

KVNU is Cache Valley's heritage radio station. With a rich history of providing local and national news to Northern Utah and Southern Idaho. Home to some of the most well-known personalities, locally and nationally.